My Ten Year Anniversary Blogging

I am celebrating my ten-year anniversary today, December 22, 2014, as a blogger! On December 22, 2004, I wrote my first blog post with a welcoming message of intent. Today, this is my 475th blog post on this blog. Just over ten years ago, prior to penning my first blog post, I attended a webinar about blogging for business. I learned about the wisdom of blogging. Throughout these past ten years, I have embraced the notion that "Wisdom begins in wonder." That's a famous Socrates quote, you know? I have wondered about a lot of things, some big, some small.

Owl Art Wise Gifts
"Wisdom begins in wonder." ~ Socrates

That wise old owl taught me to actually "give a hoot!" I had always embraced the fact that you should have relevant content ... or you will have no readers. I stated an interesting FAQ, all those ten years ago, "Market or promote your blog by trading links ... use a lot of outbound links." I would say that statement pretty much still rings true today, but I would say that you should be judicious with the number of outbound links and even more with the quality of inbound links.

Which is the stone that holds that bridge? It is a delicate balance to achieve a well-written and relevant blog post. You need to balance your relevant content with a judicious number of links to not be overly commercial or promotional.

I am a Google Blogger!

In addition to this first blog, I ventured out to write on three other Google blogs that I have created over the past ten years. "Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it." Albert Einstein said it and I have been working at acquiring IT!

#1 - Topicability - To be topicable :: that which is relevant, of current interest, contemporary, spot-on! Originally created on April 8, 2008, my goal was to concentrate on the relevancy of Squidoo lenses.

I have authored 108 posts over the past 6.5+ years. This blog has garnered nearly 30,000 pageviews. Now that the content site of Squidoo is a thing of the past, I plan on using that blog to focus on the topicability of other sites and issues which seem to confound us daily.

#2 - For Sale By Owner - Jacksonville FL - Fall in love with this beautiful home for sale by owner in Jacksonville, Florida. Originally created on December 31, 2013, my goal was to create a go-to site for more information on my house for sale.

I authored 8 posts which showcase the various features of the house for sale. I've wanted to write a couple more posts to showcase the landscaping and various gardens that I have created. This blog will be celebrating its one year anniversary next week! In those twelve months time, it has garnered over 3,700 pageviews. The house has been under contract nearly three times; however, it still is available!

#3 - Blondes that DIY - All about us blondes that DIY do-it-yourself with humor, advice, tips and fun stuff charting the hashtag of #blondesthatdiy - Originally created on May 9, 2014, my goal was to focus on do-it-yourself "projects" that blondes tackle ... not only me!

I have authored 159 posts along with 3 pages. In the 7.5 months of that blog's life, it has garnered nearly 6,000 pageviews. In addition to focusing on DIY projects, I transitioned many of my Squidoo lenses that I opted not to feature on HubPages. I still have over 645 lenses, that I had removed prior to the Squidoo sale, which might be featured some day on this blog or my JaguarJulie blog!

A Passion; A Joy!

For a long time, Squidoo was THE passion for me. Then, things began to change; not on my end, but on the end of Squidoo. The sense of community was obliterated. People, who called themselves authors and writers, were copying my lenses and other lensmasters' lenses. Then, some were involved in cheating and some were using black hat tactics. I didn't recognize the place! In the Winter of 2012, I began to remove hundreds of my lenses, saving them for future publication elsewhere.

Along came Zazzle. This is such a wondrous site, you know? It gives each and every one of us the opportunity to design to our heart's content those truly unique and authentic designs. Be careful of the copycats though!!!

I have been promoting my three Zazzle shops throughout three of my blogs. On September 16, 2009, I blogged about my first Zazzle shop, Zazzle Shirts With a Bit of An Attitude -- Say What? Expressing your attitude on a t-shirt can sometimes help to diffuse the angst and keep one politically-correct!

Over the past couple of years, as I have blogged about my various flower gardens, I have sprinkled glimpses of that flower art on designer creations in my Zazzle shop, Jaguar Julie Flowers. Those flower art designs have been such an artful expression of my passion and joy!

The hundreds of sunflower blossoms that grew in my flower garden were such an inspiration. I have shared that inspiration in my various Zazzle flower designs from the realistic to the abstract. Two other types of flowers, gerbera daisies and mexican petunias, have populated my flower art designs.

In the Fall of 2014, Zazzle was seeking bloggers to become "Zazzle bloggers." I raised my hand and then put it to work with two dedicated blog posts. On November 1, 2014, I wrote, Artsy Christmas Tree Holiday Decor to showcase my artful creations from my Zazzle shop, Jaguar Julie Designs. On December 1, 2014, I wrote, Cyber Monday Crafty Deals at Zazzle to highlight the fabulous deals at Zazzle.

Life's Challenges

I am so thankful to have had my Google Blogs that have been there to help deal with life's challenges over the past ten years. I wished that there had been a singular community forum that would have been there over those ten years. I have been active on a variety of forums, but a few of those are now defunct. It helps to diffuse life's challenges when you can interact with your peers and peeps! Ah, PP.

In ten years, from 2004 to 2014, I have enjoyed several years of marriage and then got divorced. I've moved more than a few times and bought a house that I am now trying to sell.

I've retired from corporate America and am enjoying the challenges of living on a social security income. Yikes!! That's why I have to sell my home. I have tackled the ObamaCare Marketplace and still find myself waiting on the outcome from my eligibility submission to see where I can source my health care!

A Bit of Wisdom

The longer you live and the more obstacles you face and overcome, you attain a level of wisdom. As I sit here editing my blog, it makes me think of some famous wisdom quotes that inspire me and others. The Serenity Prayer has resonated with me for years. It truly nails it in that we are here on this earth learning from our mistakes. Thankfully, we may experience some blessings along the noble journey and learn some lessons from our mistakes. God loves us ... each and everyone!

1. "Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it." ~ Albert Einstein
2. "Wisdom begins in wonder." ~ Socrates
3. "Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment." ~ Lao Tzu
4. "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." ~ Socrates
5. "We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future." ~ George Bernard Shaw
6. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." ~ Reinhold Niebuhr

Are You a Blogger?

Take a moment to let me know that you are a blogger, if you are! How long have you been blogging? How many blogs do you manage?

Thank YOU Google for being there along this long and winding road.

I actually give a hoot ... "It is better to give than to receive." You know? That's the principle behind "the art of giving." Do YOU give a hoot?